Question:
What is Terra-Sigillata?
Terra Sigillata: History
History: Historically terra sigillata has been used as a sealer and decorative coat on pottery for thousands of years. Common examples are the Roman red black pottery, and the black polished Native American Indian pottery of the Southwest. Contemporary uses include raku, smoke firing and other techniques that emphasize the surface.
Terra sigillata: Application and Firing
Application and Firing: Terra sigillata can be applied by spraying, dipping or brushing at all stages of construction. Apply several coats and burnish or simply polish with your hands or a soft cloth when damp/dry to the touch. Polish between coats for the glossiest surfaces. Terra sigillata can be fired at any temperature but the polished surface will start to break down when fired over cone 04. Use as a slip/engobe up to cone 10 and above.
Terra-Sigillata: Description
Terra-Sigillata is a slip, made of clays whose particles are extremely fine. Like slip or en-globe - which it basically is - Terra-Sigillata appeals to those who wish to develop an intimate relationship between the surface of their work and its form, and who respond to the way in which the Terra-Sigillata becomes an integral part of the clay body rather than coating the surface like a glaze. After the final firing the forms are hand-polished with Tung Oil to achieve a more durable surface. Terra-Sigillata means "sealed earth". It was used by the Greeks and Romans before the invention of glaze.
Terra Sigillata: Types
Types of Terra Sigillata: The basic mix is a white ball clay. Used alone it is a beautiful satiny white. Mason stains and other colorants can be added to give a wide range of colors. Use between 3 and 10%. To eliminate weighing use 1/2 or 1 full standard Mason sample pack per pint of terra sigillata. White, red and tan slips can be intermixed to yield different tones.
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| Jolyn Wells-Moran |
